Operating mechanism for switches



Feb. 21, 1933.

H. B. MASSEY OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SWITCHES Filed Feb. 1932" 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 21, 1933. H a MASSEY 1,898,135

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SWITCHES Filed Feb. 4, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEHBLEY B. MASSEY, OFGREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO RAILWAY AND I INDUSTRIALENGINEERING COMPANY, OF GREENSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA, A GOR- POBATION OFPENNSYLVANIA orma'rme MECHANISM ron swrrcmis Application filed February4,1982. Serial No. 590,951.

This invention relates to disconnecting switches and more particularlyto mechanism for operating heavy current, pressure contact, knifeswitches. 16 High capacity switches of this type usually have two ormore blades. When in a closed position the jaws of the switch, in orderto maintain an efiicient contact, must exert' a considerable pressureagainst the blades. The consequence is that it is exceedingly diflicultto draw the blades from, the jaws.v Mechanical devices have been devisedto facilitate the opening of such high capacity switches but these arecumbersome and expensive and in addition, do not relleve the strain onthe insulators and other switch parts, incident to opening and closing.

An object of this invention is to solve the above problems by providinga mechanism' that wlll'open progressively the blades of a multi-bladeswitch.

Another object isto provide mechanism for opening progressively bygroups, the blades of a multi-blade switch.

A further object is to reduce the stress upon the switch parts due tothe opening and closing movements.

A still further object is to facilitate the opening and closing of theswitch.

These and other objects will be clear from the following specificationwhen taken with the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of theswitch in closed position, its open position being shown 85 by brokenlines,

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fi 1, and

ig, 3 is a side elevation of the switch blades showing the two outerones partially .0 en and the two inner ones completely 0 osed.

The switch is mounted on insulators 1 attached to a back board 2 and. iscontrolled from a panel 3. The jaws 4 and the blades 5 are of knownconstruction, the jaws comprising tongues 6 pressed inwardly by springfingers 7 and the blades being pivoted at 8, having contact bosses orbuttons 9 corresponding to similar bosses or buttons 10 on the 5 blades5. The jaw support 11 and the blade support 12 each connected to theinsulators 1, are provided with bars 13 for connecting the switch in thepower line in which it is to operate.

The switch in the modification shown has four blades, the operatingmechanism which comprises the subject of this invention, initiallymoving together the outer two blades before the inner two. However, forsimplicity, the description will be given for the outer and the innerblades which appear in Fig. 3

and 18 of insulating material. .The link 17 i is pivoted to the outerblade 5 by a pin 19 in a lug 20 fixed to the blade. The link 18,provided with a slot 21, is pivoted to the inner blade by a pin 22slidably fitting in the slot 21. For the distance between the pin 22 andt e pivot 8 is less than the distance between the pin 19 and the pivot8. The operation is as follows:

purposes hereinafter explained,

In order to open the switch, the shaft 14 v is moved in acounter-clockwise direction, carrying with it the crank arm l5. As thecrank arm 15 and the link 17 are exactly on dead center when the switchis closed, the link 17 immediately begins to open the outer blade towhich it is connected. During this initial opening movement, the crankarm 15 and the link 18 pass through dead center, but there is nomovement. of the inner blade until the outer end of the slot 21 meetsthe pin 2.4. At this moment the-inner blade begins to open but'b'y thistime the outer blade has moved until it is partially open as shown inFig. 3. opening the switch in this B manner, the iictional resistance tomovement is reduced as not all of the blades initially are moved at thesame time, resulting comparative ease in operation and conse- .quentelimination of severe strains on the insulators and other switch parts.

Upon further counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft 14, both inner andouter blades 5 are rotated further about the pivot 8 until they arewholly free much as the distance between the pivot point of the link 18on the inner blade and the pivot 8 is shorter than the corresponding 10distance between the pivot point of the link 17 on the outer blade andthe pivot 8, the rate of rotation of the inner blade is more rapid thanthat of the outer blade. The parts are operably so related that when theswitch has reached its fully open position, the inner blade which atfirst lagged behind the outer blade will have caught up with the outerblade so that the inner and outer blades each other as shown by aredirectly opposite 20 broken lines in Fig. 1.

The closing of theswitch is the reverse of opening. Upon clockwisemovement of shaft 14 and therefore of the crank arm 15, i the innerblade, for the reason given above, moves more rapidly than the outer oneand after the initial closingimovement slides link 18 on the pin' 22 tota e up the lost motion. Then, due to the more rapid rotation of theinner blade, it contacts with the jaws before the outer blade. When thelink 18 and the crank arm 15 are in dead center position, the innerblade is completely closed. As the dead center position is passed, thelink 18 is slightly withdrawn but the movement is taken up by the slot22 as the blade is held in position by the friction due to the pressureof the jaws. When the link 18 and crank arm 15 have passed dead center,the link 17 and crank arm go into dead center position. The switch isthen completely closed and locked closed by the link 17 and crank arm 15in dead center position.

In construction it has been found more satisfactory to locate the pin 22substantially on the axis of the inner blade. Also, in order to conservespace and maintain appearance, it is desirable that the mechanism bedeto a four. blade switch, it is evident that it may be applied to anyswitch having a plurality of blades. Also it is within the contemplaticnof this invention that the blades 5 be moved singly or in groups of anynumber.

from the jaws 4. Inasa manner that the inner and While this invention,as shown, is applied I claim:

1. An operating mechanism for a multiple blade disconnectmg switchcomprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, and link meansconnected to the crank arm to progressively open blades of the switch.

2. An operating mechanism for a multipleblade disconnectlng switchcomprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft and a plurality oflinks, each pivotally connecting the crank arm to different blades ofthe switch.

3. An operating mechanism for a multiple blade disconnecting switchcomprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, a'pluralit ,of eachpivotally connecting the cran slot inone of said 4. An operatingmechanism for a multiple blade disconnectmg switch comprising a shaftspaced from said blades, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, and meansincluding a lost motion arrangement connected to the crank arm toprogressively open blades of the switch.

5. An operating mechanism fora multiple blade disconnecting switchcomprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, a plurality oflinks, each pivotally connecting the crank arm to a different switchblade, and a pivot about which the blades oscillate, distances betweensaid pivot and points at which the links are pivoted to theircorresponding blades being different.

6. An operating mechanism for a multiple blade disconnectlng switchcomprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, a plurality oflinks each pivotally connecting the crank arm to a different switchblade, a slot in one of said links providing for lost motion and a pivotabout which the blades oscillate,

- the distances between said pivot and points at which the linksarepivoted to their corresponding blades being different.

7. An operating mechanism for a multipleblade disconnecting switchcomprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft and means connectedto the crank arm to progressively open the blades of the switch, saidmeans including means to lock the blades in closed position.

8. An operating mechanism for a multiple blade disconnecting switchcomprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft and means includinga lost motion arrangement connected to the crank arm to progressivelyopen blades of the switch,"-said means including means to lock theblades in closed position.

9. In a disconnecting switch and operating mechanism therefor, thecombination of a plurality of blades, a pivot about which said bladesoscillate, a link pivoted to each blade, and means for moving said linksto open the switch.

the

arm to a different switch blade,.and a 10. .In a disconnecting switchand operating mechanism therefor, the combination of a plurality ofblades, a pivot about which said blades oscillate, a link pivoted toeach of said blades, a pin connecting the free ends of said links, andmeans to move said links to o' n the switch the distance between thepivot and the pin being the same in both open and closed positions ofthe switch.

11. In a disconnecting switch and operating mechanism therefor, thecombination .of a lurality of blades, a pivot about which said ladesoscillate, a link pivoted to each of said blades, a slot in one of saidlinks providing for lost motion, and means for moving said links toopenthe switch.

12. In a disconnecting switch and operating mechanism therefor thecombination of a plurality of blades, a pivot about which said bladesoscillate, a link ivoted to each of said blades, a slot in one osaid-links providing for lost motion, a pinconnecting the free ends ofsaid links and means to move said links to open the switch whereby thedistance between the pivot and the pin is the same in both open andclosed positions of the switch.

' 13. In a disconnecting switch and o rat-" ing mechanism therefor, thecombination of a plurality of blades, a pivot about which said bladesoscillate, a link for each blade, means for each blade pivotallyconnecting a link to each blade, the istanc'e between the pivot and eachof said ineans being difi'erent, and means to move said links to openthe switch.

14. In a disconnecting switch and operating mechanism therefor, thecombination of a plurality of blades, a pivot about which saidladesoscillate, a link for each blade, a slot in one of said links providingfor lost motion,

means for each blade pivotally connecting a link to each blade, thedistance'between the pivot and each of said means being different, andmeans to move said links to open the 15. In a multi-blade disconnectingswitch and an operating mechanism for progressive- 1i 0 ning thelades,the combination of a s af a crank arm fixed to said shaft, aplurality of blades, a ivot about which said blades oscillate, apivotally connected to each of said blades an means pivotally connectingthe free ends of said links to said crank arm, the distances between thepivot and the points of connection of the links with the blades beingdifferent for each blade and the distance between the pivot and saidmeans being the same in both open and closed position.

In testimon whereof, I aflix m si ature.

HEMSLEY B.

